Genzyme Looks to Carve Out Market Share for Renvela

When Cambridge, Mass.-based Genzyme launched Renagel back in 1998, John Butler, president of Genzyme’s Renal Division, said phosphate binders weren’t much of a category. Things have changed. “We’ve driven this product to the point where last year, globally, it was over a $600 million brand,” he added. “It has become a much more interesting business opportunity, and that’s what brings new potential products into the market.”

Renagel is the market leader in phosphate binders, according to a report by the research firm BioTrends, but since Renagel’s inception, the competitive landscape’s plot has thickened. Biotech giant Amgen threw its hat in the ring last summer when it acquired San Francisco-based Ilypsa and its phosphate binder still in development for $420 million. Existing competition is also heating up. BioTrends reported Shire’s Fosrenol could be used significantly more in the future. And in CKD care, BioTrends said calcium-based binders are preferred, with Fresenius’ PhosLo being the market leader with a 43 percent share.

In the midst of all this competition, Genzyme released a new phosphate binder in March named Renvela.

What’s New About It?

Genzyme is referring to Renvela as the next-generation version of Renagel. Like Renagel, Renvela is a calcium-free, metal-free, non-absorbed phosphate binder. “The message is that Renvela has all the advantage of Renagel with the added benefit of a carbonate buffer,” Butler said.

Kidney disease patients often take phosphate binders to clear the excess phosphorus out of their system, a responsibility that should normally fall on the kidney. Cardiovascular disease is a risk factor if this condition is left untreated.

In May 2006, Charles Nolan, MD, a nephrologist with the University of Texas Health Sciences Centers in San Antonio, filed a petition with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, alleging that dialysis patients taking Renagel are at an increased risk of digestive tract complications. This has been one of the areas, however, that Renvela looked to improve upon. “If your patient’s doing perfectly fine on Renagel, there’s no reason to switch that I know of,” said Craig Langman, MD, professor of kidney diseases at Northwestern University, and head of nephrology at Children’s Memorial Hospital. “But there’s a lot of talk between patients that [Renagel’s] the stuff that makes your tummy upset. If that’s what’s going on in the dialysis unit, then it’s a perfect opportunity to use Renvela. There are some patients that just have a more severe acidosis than others.”